France confronts surge in wild boar damage and disputed chamois cull

In the Cher department, the local hunters' federation recorded 487 reports of wild boar damage to crops by June 30 2026, a 47 % increase from the previous year. The rise is attributed to high boar populations after the hunting season, with damage to maize accounting for roughly half of the department's annual agricultural compensation. Authorities have maintained measures such as the removal of mandatory bracing on boars and continued state‑run control actions, though recent heat waves have hampered field operations.

Separately, the wildlife‑protection association Aspas has criticised a prefectural decree for the Doubs department that would permit the culling of 330 chamois from September 2026 to January 2027. The group also demands an end to recreational hunting of chamois and summer red‑deer hunts, arguing the quotas threaten biodiversity and are not justified by agricultural or forest damage.

Both cases highlight growing tensions in France over wildlife management, agricultural protection and hunting policy.